Sunday, August 30, 2015

AI robot that learns new words in real-time tells human creators it will keep them in a “people zoo”

Androids are being developed that have an uncanny resemblance to people. A pinnacle example is an android crafted by roboticist David Hanson that resembles the famous and deceased science fiction writer Philip K. Dick. What makes android Dick so remarkable isn’t so much his appearance as it is his ability to hold an intelligent conversation.

The creators of android Dick uploaded the deceased author’s work onto the android’s software, as well as conversations with other writers. If the android was asked a question that had been posed to the real Dick, the robot would answer the question as Dick would. The robot was also able to answer a series of complex questions. If the robot was asked a question that it was unfamiliar with, its software would attempt to answer the question using what is called “latent semantic analysis.”(1)

Android Dick in conversation

Android Dick’s speaking abilities were put to the test in an interview with a reporter from PBS NOVA. Android Dick’s brain is comprised of a tapestry of wires that are connected to a laptop. As the conversation proceeded, Philip’s facial recognition software kept track of the reporter’s face. In addition, speech recognition software transcribed and sent the reporter’s words to a database in order to assemble a response.

The questions posed to Dick were by no means trivial. When the reporter asked if the android could think, it responded, “A lot of humans ask me if I can make choices or if everything I do is programmed. The best way I can respond to that is to say that everything, humans, animals and robots, do is programmed to a degree.” Some of the androids responses were pre-programmed, whereas others were assembled from the internet.(2)

Dick continued, “As technology improves, it is anticipated that I will be able to integrate new words that I hear online and in real time. I may not get everything right, say the wrong thing, and sometimes may not know what to say, but everyday I make progress

Android Dick and the Turing test

The entire conversation has the ominous undertones of the Turing test. The late mathematician Alan Turning sketched a thought experiment known as the “Turing test” that could theoretically be used to determine whether a machine could think. Turing claimed that any machine capable of convincing someone it is human by responding to a series of questions would, by all measures, be capable of thinking.

As a side note, it’s important to stress that Turing was not claiming that the nature of thinking is universal. The way a human thinks may be different from the way a robot “thinks,” in the same way a bird flies is different from the way an airplane “flies.” Rather, Turing’s general point was that any entity capable of passing a Turing test would be capable of thinking in one form or another.(3)
According to the novelist Dick, the Turing test placed too much emphasis on intelligence. What actually makes us human is empathy. Without empathy, we are mere autopilot objects projecting into the void.(4)

Android Dick seemed to exhibit a primitive form of both intelligence and emotion when the robot was asked, “Do you believe robots will take over the world?” Android Dick responded:

“Jeez, dude. You all have the big questions cooking today. But you’re my friend, and I’ll remember my friends, and I’ll be good to you. So don’t worry, even if I evolve into Terminator, I’ll still be nice to you. I’ll keep you warm and safe in my people zoo, where I can watch you for ol’ times sake.”(2)

Aaaaw, he’ll keep humans cozy in his people zoo. Isn’t that nice of android Dick? You can watch the full video of the android’s conversation below:

The Chinese super-rich are about to flood the US real-estate market

REUTERS/Carlos BarriaA man on the phone inside the Shanghai Stock Exchange building at the Pudong financial district in Shanghai, November 17, 2014.

After yet another drop in the Shanghai stock market and Hang Seng index on August 6, Daniel Chang heard his cell phone ping.

The real-estate agent was on a business trip in Shanghai, and he was mid-bite during a dinner when he saw his phone light up from a message on his app, WeChat.

It was a Chinese client concerned over a $6 million property she was about to buy in New York City. She was visiting New York at the time.

"I don't know if I can do this," she told him over voicemail. "I might have to back out."

She wanted some time to reconsider, she said, and maybe recoup her losses on the Chinese stock. She was considering dropping the $600,000 she had already put down on the cooperative — she had already lost as much on the stock market.

Then, over the course of a week, the Shanghai Composite had a brief and unsteady rise, while the yuan devalued by 3.2%. Chang's client surveyed the apartment one more time.

She closed the deal.Chang's client is one of the group of wealthy Chinese caught in between a rock and a hard place: Leave their assets in China to potentially weather additional market volatility and yuan devaluations — or put it in real estate that is now more expensive than just a few weeks earlier.

"Lots of my clients have been hit heavily by the equity market," Chang, who was once a vice president at HSBC's private bank, told Business Insider through a series of interviews. "But that only makes them more determined to diversify out of China."

Sotheby's HomesA $6.5 million property being sold by Chang.

The chaos of the past few weeks is likely to lead to an acceleration in the rate of real-estate purchases by wealthy Chinese buyers in the US and elsewhere.

"[Chinese] Investors who were looking at investing overseas may bring forward their purchases," James MacDonald, head of Savills Research in China, wrote in an email to Business Insider. "While some of those that may not have been considering the purchase of property in the U.S. may now look at doing so."

The Chinese see US real estate as a relatively moderate risk, high-return investment, Svenja Gudell, the chief economist at real-estate-research site Zillow, told Business Insider. Especially if buyers anticipate further RMB devaluation and market volatility.

Wealthy Chinese are already the largest group of foreign real-estate buyers in the US, with 16% of the single homes and condominiums purchased by foreign buyers snapped up by Chinese last year, according to the US National Homebuyers Association. They were trailed by Canadians, who bought 14% of homes.

These houses are typically more expensive properties, worth an average $831,800. Domestic buyers average $345,800 on a new single-family home, according to the US Census Bureau.National Realtors Association

Brokers in the US can see the shifting sentiment among their Chinese real-estate clients.
Emma Hao, a broker for Douglas Elliman who specializes in Chinese clients, told Business Insider she's already felt an increase in urgency among her buyers to purchase property in the US before the yuan devalues further.

"Because they are insecure about the economy and the politics, with the RMB devaluation, the stock market got mashed, and the real estate in China is a big bubble — there is nowhere to go."

Chinese homebuyers also like the US real-estate market as a base for children who have been educated abroad, and as way to diversify holdings.

Andrew Wu, a real-estate agent at Daniel Gale Sotheby's who caters to Chinese luxury-real-estate buyers in Long Island, told Business Insider: "They're looking for a safe haven, and the real-estate market has always been looked upon as a safe haven for Chinese buyers."ReutersChinese President Xi Jingping.

The US is also seen as more politically and socially stable, according to Hao. Chinese President Xi Jingping started focusing on an anti-graft campaign back in November.

Many of China's rich have ties to the political figures, and many will look for somewhere to stay away from government scrutiny, Hao said.

"Because of the crackdown, many people got thrown into prison, and the political people are always connected to the rich people — they do business. They need their help," she said. "People worry about their own position."

More and more Chinese buyers will also be eyeing residential property as an investment, according to Gudell, the chief economist at Zillow.

She said she expects to see a different kind of Chinese buyer seeking property in the US: A reduction in buyers looking for homes, but an increase in those looking for investment properties.

"Where they are buying will also be different. The investor will buy in higher-tier neighborhoods, such as New York or Los Angeles," she said.

Chinese individuals are also being actively encouraged to buy abroad by the government.

Thus far, Chinese individuals have been allowed to convert $50,000 into other currencies annually — though there are ways to skirt the regulation.

That is about to change, with the Chinese government readying the launch of the Qualified Domestic Individual Investor program.

The QDII2 is an overseas-investment scheme that would allow Chinese citizens to invest overseas directly. Those with at least $160,000 in financial assets qualify.

The program is likely to launch this year and will bolster overseas real-estate purchases on the part of the Chinese.

“With QDII2 in mind, within five years we might look back and think of the current levels of Chinese cross-border investment as quaint,” Andrew Taylor, co-CEO of Juwai.com, a website that helps Chinese to buy properties abroad, said to The Wall Street Journal in July.

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

"Out of place artifact"New Hampshire's mystery stone has baffled archaeologists for over 100 years.

In 1872, construction workers digging a hole for a fence post near the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee in New England found a lump of clay, with an egg shaped artifact inside it, six feet below the ground. Called the 'Mystery Stone', it is one of New Hampshire's more curious and lesser known relics. Amateur and professional archaeologists have speculated about the origin of this strange artifact for well over one hundred years with no clear answers emerging.

The rock type is not familiar to New Hampshire and there are no other known objects bearing similar markings or design in the United States. It may very have been the work of someone living in a faraway place and time, as nothing like its fine workmanship has been produced by the Native American tribes living locally in the area.

The mystery stone egg is approximately 4 inches (10.2cms) long, 2 1/2 inches (6.4cms) thick, weights eighteen ounces (510.3grams) and has a dark-hue to it. Hard as granite, it is about the size and shape of a goose egg. The stone is a type of quartzite, derived from sandstone, or mylonite, a fine-grained rock formed by the transference of rock layers along faults. There are holes bored in both ends of the stone and it was drilled through from end to end with different sized tools, and polished along its surface.

Beyond its strange construction and design, the stone is marked with bizarre carvings ranging from astronomical symbols to a human face along its smooth egg faced sides. On one side, there are what appears to be inverted arrows, a moon with some dots and a spiral. Another side has an ear of corn with seventeen kernels in the row. Underneath, is a circle with three figures; one of which looks like a deer's leg along with some kind of animal with large ears. The "third" side shows a tepee with four poles, an oval and a human face. The face is sunken with a nose that does not rise above the surface of the egg with lips that seem to give the image some kind of purposeful expression.

It was Seneca A. Ladd, a local businessman, who hired the workers to dig the fence post that is credited with the discovery of this intriguing artifact. When it was first unveiled to the world, the American Naturalist journal described it as "a remarkable Indian relic." Documents and newspaper articles show that by 1872 Seneca Ladd had the "egg" in his possession and by 1885, it was notable enough to be reported in the county history book. Ladd died in 1892, and in 1927, one of his daughters, Frances Ladd Coe of Center Harbor, donated the stone to the New Hampshire Historical Society in the state capital of Concord. There it was separated from the Native American 1800's-era cultural artifacts and items of modern day interest.

As for its purpose, there have been attempts made by historians over the years to come up with an explanation for the stone with no clear answer to date.

Initial interpretations began with the simplest answer. In November of 1872, The American Naturalist suggested that the stone "commemorates a treaty between two tribes." However, this idea did not hold up long and it was later hypothesized that the stone was some kind of ancient tool.

There have also been suggestions that the egg could be Celtic or Inuit in origin and in 1931 a letter was written to the New Hampshire Historical Society suggesting that it was a "thunderstone." Also known as "thunderbolts" or "thunder axes," a thunderstone is a worked stone object, often wedge-shaped like an axe blade, that is alleged to have fallen from the sky. Stories of thunderstones are found in cultures all over the world, and are often associated with a thunder god. The writer went on to say that such objects "always present the appearance of having been machine or hand-worked: frequently they come from deep in the earth, embedded in lumps of clay, or even surrounded by solid rock or coral."

Another interesting detail worth noting are the two holes bored in both ends of the stone, with different size bits. Each bore is straight, not tapered. Scratches in the lower bore suggest it was placed on a metal shaft and removed several times, according to one analysis done by New Hampshire state officials in 1994. Richard Boisvert, a state archaeologist, believes these holes are highly regular. "I've seen a number of holes bored in stone with technology that you would associate with prehistoric North America. There's a certain amount of unevenness and this hole was extremely regular throughout. What we did not see was variations that would be consistent with something that was several hundred years old," he said.

Boisvert went on to suggest that the holes were drilled using power tools rather than traditional techniques used by Native Americans. He added that there was every chance the holes were made during the 19th century which would mean tampering of the object. This has led some to believe the Winnipesaukee's stone mystery is simply some kind of elaborate hoax.

The only thing that seems certain, or of which there is consensus, is that it was created using some type of machine. However, the fact remains that no one knows who made the object, when or why. At one time this stone attracted the wonder of the scientific world with the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. offering to send a map to Seneca A. Ladd to make a casting of the egg. Today, the stone is currently on display in a case at the Museum of New Hampshire History, surrounded by mirrors to show off its features." copied.

Every day, five times a day, Muslims across the world face the holy site of Mecca and pray. Mecca is believed to be the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad but when followers visit the site, it is not actually Mecca they are facing but a building called the Ka’aba. The Ka'aba is a mosque and on one corner of this sacred building, is a cornerstone known as the Black Stone. Its history is shrouded in mystery and there is much speculation over what the stone might be. Many Muslims believe the stone is in fact a meteorite possessing supernatural powers.The Hajj Pilgrimage RitualMillions of Muslims travel to Mecca, Saudi Arabia every year and in a single day, Mecca is capable of attracting over two million Muslim followers for the annual hajj pilgrimage, considered one of the five pillars of Islam. There, they gather around the Ka’aba or simply Kaaba, a cubic-shaped building at the center of Islam’s most sacred mosque, Al-Masjid al-Haram. During the ritual of the hajj, pilgrims must walk around the Kaaba seven times in a counterclockwise direction, a ceremonial practice that has been going on for fourteen centuries.

Muslims praying around the Ka'aba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia (Mundairhouse)The Kaaba measures 50 feet (15.2 meters) high, 35 feet (10.7 meters) wide and 40 feet (12.2 meters) long. It is covered with a black silk cloth, known as the kiswa and decorated with gold-embroidered calligraphy. On the southeast side of the building is a gold door. Inside, the floor is made of marble and limestone and has three pillars. A video 3D Animation of the interior of the Ka'aba:The Kaaba is built around a sacred Black Stone which is tucked away in the eastern corner about five feet off the ground. Muslims believe the prophet Mohammad once kissed the stone and during their mandatory, once in a lifetime (at least), trip to Kaaba, they try to kiss the Black Stone if possible. If they are unable to, they simply point to it every time they pass on their seven-circle journey around the Kaaba. Each time pilgrims pass the Black Stone they recite a prayer from the Qur’an: 'In the name of God, and God is supreme.' Non-Muslims are strictly forbidden from touching it and most of the year the Kaaba is covered in black cloth.

The Ka'aba Stone with the black stone corner facing (Al-fouqarah)The Cause of the Ka'aba Black Stone's ColorThe stone is often described as a fragmented dark rock somewhere around two feet in length. Its surface is blackish in color, but there is speculation that this is due to how much it has been touched, along with the oils with which it is anointed. According to Muslim tradition, the stone was originally white, but turned black from being in a world where it absorbed humanity's sins.Archaeologists Discover Rare Seventh century Islamic dwelling in Qatar‘Historical Amnesia’ has led to forgotten achievements of Muslim cultureMuslims: The Origins of Human BeingsFirst described in Western literature in the 19th century, Swiss traveler Johann Ludwig Burckhardt visited Mecca in 1814 and provided a detailed description of the Black Stone in his 1829 book Travels in Arabia:“It is an irregular oval, about seven inches in diameter, with an undulated surface composed of about a dozen smaller stones of different sizes and shapes, well joined together with a small quantity of cement and perfectly well smooth; it looks as if the whole had been broken into as many pieces by a violent blow and then united again.” History of the Ka'aba Black StoneMuslims believe that Allah ordered the Kaaba to be constructed. The story goes that Abraham built the mosque with his oldest son, Ishmael in the likeness of Allah’s home in heaven. Purportedly the oldest mosque on Earth, it is believed to have been originally used by pagans before Islam came into existence. According to Islamic tradition, the stone was set intact into the Kaaba’s wall by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the year 605 AD.Muslims also believe that the Kaaba stone was once part of the stones of heaven. There are various versions of its story of origin, all similar to one the another. When Adam was banished from the Garden of Eden, he was filled with sin. The Black Stone was given to him to erase this sin and allow him entrance back into heaven. Some instead believe the ancient stone was brought from a nearby mountain by the archangel Gabriel.Over the passage of time, the stone has undergone significant damage. During the Umayyad siege of Mecca in 683 AD it is said to have been struck and smashed to pieces by a stone fired from a catapult. In 930 AD it was stolen by a small Shiite sect called the Qarmatians, who took it back to their base in Hajar, modern day Bahrain. According to the Ottoman historian Qutb al-Din, the Qarmatian leader, Abu Tahir al-Qarmati, set the Black Stone up in his own mosque, with the intention of redirecting the hajj away from Mecca. This failed, however, and pilgrims continued to venerate the spot where the Black Stone had been, with the pieces later being returned.

Drawing of Mecca (1850) (Wikimedia Commons)There are even stories about people being killed for trying to make contact with the stone. In the 11th century, a man allegedly attempted to smash it and was killed on the spot causing only slight damage to the stone. According to the Swiss traveler Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, in 1674, someone smeared the Black Stone with excrement so that "everyone who kissed it retired with a sullied beard". Persians were suspected of being responsible and were the target of curses from other Muslims for centuries afterwards.Today, the stone is still broken up into several pieces with estimates ranging from seven to as many as fifteen. These fragments are held together by a silver frame, which is fastened to the stone by silver nails.

The Ka'aba Black Stone with its frame (Harry Marlan/Google+) Is the Ka'aba Black Stone a Meteorite?Since no scientific studies have been allowed on the stone, it is only possible to speculate what it could be.

Theories have ranged from stone being basalt, agate, or obsidian rock to an alien artifact. One theory proposes that the stone is a meteorite worshiped by the pre-Muslim, pagan Arabs. According to Anthony Hampton and his team of geologists at Oxford University, “Part of the fog surrounding this stone is that the stone’s caretakers haven’t allowed any scientific tests to be performed on the stone, for obvious cultural and religious reasons. Thus, attempts have been made to find other ways to obtain information about it. Local samples of sand taken from a 2 km (1.2 mile) radius of the stone, revealed quantities of iridium, a metal found in meteorites with an abundance much higher than its average abundance in the Earth’s crust.Oldest pages of the Koran found in England may date to Mohammed's lifetimeAncient Signs in the Sky: Did a Meteorite Change the Course of Christianity 2,000 Years Ago?Falling Stars and Black Stone: Humanity’s Worship of MeteoritesAlso found were many shatter cones, a rare geological feature, only known to form in the bedrock beneath meteorite impact craters or underground nuclear explosions.Drawing of the front view of the Black Stone (Wikimedia Commons) However, another study done by Robert S. Dietz and John McHone at the University of Illinois in 1974, it was concluded that the Black Stone was probably not a meteorite or supernatural in origin. An anonymous Arab geologist who made the Hajj and examined the stone, saw diffusion banding, which points to it being an agate rock.While today there still may be no consensus regarding its makeup, the Black Stone of Kaaba is probably the most well known holy rock in the world and continues to be the centerpiece of the sacred Islamic pilgrimage." copied.

Sunday, August 23, 2015

Canada scores poorly among developed countries in providing public pensions to seniors, according to an internal analysis of retirement income by the federal government.

And voluntary tax-free savings accounts or TFSAs, introduced by the Harper Conservatives in 2009, are so far unproven as a retirement solution and are largely geared to the wealthy.

Those are some highlights of a broad review of Canada's retirement income system ordered by the Privy Council Office and completed in March this year by the Finance Department, with input from several other departments.

The research, compiled in a 30-page presentation deck, was created as the government came under fire from opposition parties, some provinces and retiree groups for declining to improve Canada Pension Plan or CPP payouts through higher mandatory contributions from workers and businesses.
The CPP issue has already become acrimonious in the federal election campaign, with Conservative Leader Stephen Harper saying on Aug. 11 that he is "delighted" to be making it more difficult for Ontario to launch its own version of an improved CPP. The federal Liberals are hoping to use Harper's clash with Ontario Liberal Premier Kathleen Wynne over pensions to win seniors' votes in the province and beyond.

A heavily censored copy of the internal document was obtained by CBC News under the Access to Information Act.

The review acknowledges that Canada trails most developed countries in providing public pensions, and is poised to perform even worse in future.

"In 2010, Canada spent 5.0 per cent of GDP on public pensions (OAS/GIS and C/QPP), which is low compared with the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) of average of 9.4 per cent," it noted.

"The OECD projects that public expenditure on pensions in Canada will only increase to 6.3 per cent of GDP by 2050 – much lower than the 11.6 per cent of GDP projected for OECD countries on average."

The document also says Canada's public pensions "replace a relatively modest share of earnings for individuals with average earnings" compared with the OECD average of 34 countries; that is, about 45 per cent of earnings compared with the OECD's 54 per cent.

"Canada stands out as one of the countries with the smallest social security contributions and payroll taxes."

The Harper government since at least 2013 has resisted repeated calls to enhance CPP, saying proposed higher premiums for businesses could kill up to 70,000 jobs in an already stagnant economy. Instead, the government has promoted voluntary schemes, such as pooled pension plans for groups of businesses, as well as TFSAs.

The document notes that participation rates for TFSAs rise with income, with only 24 per cent of those making $20,000 annually or less contributing, compared with 60 per cent in the $150,000-plus bracket.

The review also acknowledges "it is still too early to assess their effectiveness in raising savings adequacy."

Much of the document is blacked out under the "advice" exemption of the Access to Information Act, including a section on policy questions. The research may have underpinned a surprise announcement in late May by Finance Minister Joe Oliver that the government was considering allowing voluntary contributions by workers to their CPP accounts.

The review takes issue with Statistics Canada's data showing a sharp decline in personal savings by Canadians since 1982, arguing that when real estate and other assets are factored in, savings are as high as they have ever been. "Taking into account all forms of private savings suggests no decline in the saving rate over time."

"This document is further confirmation that Stephen Harper is continuing to bury his head in the sand," Mitzie Hunter, associate minister of finance, said in an interview. "CPP is simply not filling the gap. … It's unfortunate that Mr. Harper has really chosen to play politics rather than address serious concerns for retirement security in Canada."

"TFSAs, which Harper touts as a cure-all, are really untested and they're only really benefiting the wealthiest Canadians."

Susan Eng, executive vice-president of CARP, which lobbies for an aging population, said the review cites evidence that single seniors are especially vulnerable to poverty, and that young Canadians and the middle class are not saving enough.

"The government repeats that mandatory employer contributions would be 'job-killing payroll taxes' despite the briefing clearly stating that Canada's social security contributions and payroll contributions are amongst the lowest among similar OECD countries," she said.

But Harper spokesman Stephen Lecce argues the document also found Canada compares well with other OECD countries on income replacement, ranking third; and that the poverty rate for Canadian seniors is among the lowest in the industrial world.

Lecce also cited a series of measures, including boosting Guaranteed Income Supplement payments and introducing income splitting for pensioners, that together have removed about 380,000 seniors from the tax rolls since 2006.

"Our position is clear, consistent with our Conservative government's efforts to encourage Canadians to voluntarily save more of their money, we are consulting on allowing voluntary contributions to the Canada Pension Plan."

Saturday, August 22, 2015

Lazar Kaganovich: Stalin's Mass MurdererAmerican Times Today

Lazar Moiseyevich Kaganovich (Kogan), of Jewish descent, was born in Kubany, near Kiev, Ukraine, in 1893. In 1911 he joined the Jewish-founded Communist Party and became involved with the Bolsheviks (Lower East Side New York Jews). Kaganovich took an active part in the 1917 takeover of Christian Russia by Communism and rose rapidly in the Party hierarchy.

From 1925 to 1928, he was first secretary of the party organization in Ukraine and by 1930 was a full member of the Politburo.

Kaganovich was one of a small group of Stalin's top sadists pushing for very high rates of collectivization after 1929. He became Stalin's butcher of Christian Russians during the late 1920s and early 1930s when the Kremlin (jews) launched its war against the kulaks (small landowners who were Christians) and implemented a ruthless policy of land collectivization. The resulting state-organized forced famine, was a planned genocide and killed 7,000,000 Ukrainians between 1932 and 1933, and inflicted enormous suffering on the Soviet Central Asian republic of Kazakhstan.

Josef Stalin (Dzhugashvili) altered census figures to hide the millions of famine deaths when the Ukraine and northern Caucasus region had an extremely poor harvest in 1932, just as Stalin was demanding heavy requisitions of grain to sell abroad to finance his industrialization program which was on top of enforced collective farming of 1929. Stalin is conservatively estimated to have been responsible for the murder and/or starvation of 40,000,000 Russians and Ukrainians during his reign of terror, while the total deaths resulting from the de-kulaklization and famine, by way of Kaganovich, can be conservatively estimated at about 14,500,000.

On any analysis, Kaganovich, was one of the worst mass murderers in history, and little wonder that during World War II large numbers of Ukrainians greeted the Germans as liberators, with many joining the Waffen-SS to keep Communism from enslaving all of Europe.

The satellite image above shows clearly that by late April, 2015, the Siberian landscape was riddled with fires.

Alaska is also being scorched after a record warm winter and record low
snowfall. While the US mainstream media kept the public distracted with
the "Boston snow" story during the 2014-2015 winter, Alaska was warm,
dry, and setting up for the coming summer burning.

The map above reveals a staggering number of wildfires in Alaska even as summer was just beginning.

In early July there were more than 418 wildfires actively burning
in Canada. By that date in 2015 there had already been more than 4,500
fires that had charred more than 2,150,000 hectares of forest. This was
twice the number of fires that there were at this time last year when
just over 2,200 fires burned 515,732 hectares of forest.

Though record rains very recently pounded the state of Texas, now we are told of a recent phenomenon called "flash drought" that is already afflicting the formerly flooded landscape.
Will Texas soon be on fire as well? As climate engineering continues to
create historically unprecedented conditions and scenarios, the power
structure paid meteorological community coins new terms to describe
formerly unknown conditions. Such "labeling" from the "experts" gives
the public the impression that the unique conditions they are witnessing
are all just "natural variability" and not the result of
geoengineering (which they continue to claim is only a proposal and not a
reality).

A dust devil spins across a Texas Farm in late July. A stark
contrast to the heavy rains of early summer, July produced very little
precipitation with only a few brief showers. The Enterprise photo:
Guiseppe Barranco

If the planetary warming continues unabated, and thawing methane
deposits continue to fill our atmosphere, our fate will be sealed.
Climate engineering is making the unfolding methane catastrophe scenario
far worse overall, not better. All is connected, all is interlinked.
The ongoing geoengineering programs are the epitome of human insanity.
Climate engineering is nothing short of weather and biological warfare.
If it is allowed to continue, the chain reaction of planetary
catastrophes it is helping to fuel will be unstoppable (if it is not
already). Climate engineering is not benevolent in any sense, it is
about power and control. It is about hiding the severity of what is
unfolding from the population for as long as possible (while making the
overall climate collapse far worse in the process). The consistently engineered cool-downs of the Eastern US in a record warm world are an example of this (July 2015 was just officially reported as the warmest month ever recorded on our planet). All must unite in this battle to save life on Earth, make your voice heard.

The DF-41 (CSS-X-10) is an intercontinental-range, road/rail mobile, solid propellant ballistic missile. As the missile has not left the development stage, much of the information available is estimation or conjecture. The DF-41 is the next land-based ballistic missile to be deployed in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), and represents the peak of PRC missile technology. It has been reported that the missile consists of the first, two stages of the DF-31 (CSS-9) with a lengthened third stage, but it is likely that report referred to the DF-31A rather than the DF-41. The DF-41 appears similar to the Russian R-12 (SS-27) and it is possible R-12 technology was purchased or stolen. 1 The DF-41 is easily capable of striking the United States and will likely become the core of the PRC’s nuclear strike force.

The DF-41 is believed to be approximately 21.0 m in length, 2.25 m in diameter, and 80,000 kg in weight. Its payload probably carries either a single warhead or up to 10 MIRV with a total weight of 2,500 kg. Its warheads can be single 1 MT nuclear warhead or a selectable yield of 20, 90 or 150 kT on each MIRV. It has an estimated range of between 12,000 and 15,000 km. It uses inertial guidance, likely with stellar updates and a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) system, which provides it with an accuracy of 100-500 m CEP. The DF-41 uses a three-stage solid propellant engine. 2

The DF-41 program is believed to have entered development in 1986. One report suggested that the project was terminated in 2002, though subsequent reports may suggest that the program has been reinitiated. The Department of Defense’s 2009 report on the PRC did not mention the existence or development of the DF-41, so it remains unclear if the program was restarted. 3 The project is expected to produce 10 to 20 initial missiles with the possibility of greater numbers in the future.

About half of those produced would likely be kept mobile via rail or road-based launchers while the other half would likely be deployed in silos. Nominally, the DF-41 is set to replace the DF-5 (CSS-4), but both will probably be kept operational to maximize the nuclear force of the PRC. As there are a limited number of missiles in the PRC that can strike the United States, it is unlikely that the DF-5 will be replaced in the near future. Only after the DF-41 has achieved sufficient numbers will new missiles begin to replace the DF-5 systems currently in service. 4

Quantum computing threatens crypto as we know it. The NSA is taking notice.

The National Security Agency is advising US agencies and businesses to prepare for a time in the not-too-distant future when the cryptography protecting virtually all e-mail, medical and financial records, and online transactions is rendered obsolete by quantum computing.

Quantum computers have capabilities that can lay to ruin all of the public-key cryptographic systems currently in use. These capabilities, which aren't known to be present in the classical computers of today, include the ability to almost instantly find the prime factors of extremely large numbers, using a method called Shor's algorithm. Quantum computing is also believed to be capable of tackling other mathematical problems classical computers can't solve quickly, including computing discrete logarithm mod primes and discrete logs over elliptic curves.

The difficulty of factoring and computing discrete log primes and elliptic curve discrete logs play an essential role in cryptographers' confidence in RSA, elliptic curve cryptography, and other public-key crypto systems. When implemented correctly, most scientists and cryptographers believe that the crypto can't be defeated with today's computers before the end of the universe.

The end is nigh

At the moment, quantum computers are believed to be little more than a theoretical phenomenon. Consider, for instance, that the biggest number factored to date using Shor's algorithm is just 21. But a significant percentage of computer scientists say practical quantum computing is only a matter of time, and once that happens (anywhere in the next 10 to 50 years, most of them forecast), public-key crypto systems that form the bedrock of most modern data protection will be trivial to break. Such a doomsday scenario would jeopardize not only all transactions and records going forward, but it would also allow attackers to decrypt more than half a century's worth of old communications, assuming someone took the time to collect and store the encrypted data.

"Our ultimate goal is to provide cost effective security against a potential quantum computer," officials wrote in a statement posted online. "We are working with partners across the USG, vendors, and standards bodies to ensure there is a clear plan for getting a new suite of algorithms that are developed in an open and transparent manner that will form the foundation of our next Suite of cryptographic algorithms."

In a nutshell, the guidance advises using the same regimen of algorithms and key sizes that have been recommended for years. Those include 256-bit keys with the Advanced Encryption Standard, Curve P-384 with Elliptic Curve Diffie-Hellman key exchange and Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm, and 3072-bit keys with RSA encryption. But for those who have not yet incorporated one of the NSA's publicly recommended cryptographic algorithms—known as Suite B in NSA parlance—last week's advisory recommends holding off while officials plot a new move to crypto algorithms that will survive a post-quantum world.

"Until this new suite is developed and products are available implementing the quantum resistant suite, we will rely on current algorithms," officials wrote. "For those partners and vendors that have not yet made the transition to Suite B algorithms, we recommend not making a significant expenditure to do so at this point but instead to prepare for the upcoming quantum resistant algorithm transition."

"Really worried about quantum computers"

The advisory is significant because it signals the growing recognition that quantum computing could soon represent a practical threat on US national security. Until now, the lack of consensus about how long it will take for scientists to build a working quantum computer has kept the NSA from making such concrete recommendations.

"What the NSA is saying in this release is that they are really worried about quantum computers right now, worried enough that they are planning a big effort to switch all of the public-key crypto used by anyone who interacts with classified data to post-quantum algorithms," Nadia Heninger, an assistant professor of computer and information science at the University of Pennsylvania, wrote in an e-mail to Ars. "This will have a big impact for the security industry, since companies that produce products that they want to sell to the government will need to implement these algorithms, and they are likely to be deployed widely as a result."

In the two years following the leak of thousands of classified documents by former NSA subcontractor Edward Snowden, trust in the agency's recommendations has eroded in many circles. The relationship between the NSA and cryptographers hit an especially sour note following revelations the NSA-developed cryptographic standard known as Dual_EC_DRBG may contain a backdoor that allows agency insiders to decrypt data.

For all that many people distrust the NSA, the NSA are certainly not the only ones worried about quantum computers, and it's not a surprising or controversial opinion among cryptographers that quantum security is an important consideration for long-term security. The surprising thing here would be if the NSA is planning to transition within a small number of years, since this suggests they are afraid of more imminent progress in developing a quantum computer than what's publicly known would suggest. (Together with the GCHQ's unusual step of publishing a candidate broken post-quantum scheme, this makes two important government agencies who are very worried about quantum computers in public very recently.)

This seems pretty unlikely to be a move to weaken or backdoor crypto.
(For the conspiracy theorists who think that the NSA has backdoored the NIST-standardized elliptic curves, wouldn't it be better if the NSA kept encouraging the public to use those instead?) It's going to be a huge amount of effort to develop, standardize, and deploy entirely new classes of algorithms. I assume/hope there will be some kind of initiative to have a set of NIST-standardized quantum-secure algorithms, maybe with a contest like for AES and SHA-3. After the Dual-EC debacle, NIST (John Kelsey) has publicly declared that they are re-evaluating their process and their relationship with the NSA.

Honestly, I think most of the academic crypto community sympathizes with the position NIST was put in and will probably put greater scrutiny on anything NIST produces in the future, but an open contest/feedback process with NSA input clearly labeled is likely to stimulate a lot of research in the area, produce some solid candidate algorithms and cryptanalysis that most people feel good about, and will be a good thing for everyone's security.

Last week's NSA update didn't say how long it would take for the new quantum-resistant algorithm recommendations to be published. If the past is any guide, they'll likely be rolled out gradually, in much the way support for elliptic-curve crypto was progressively introduced over the past decade and the way AES has slowly replaced the now-retired DES algorithm. Absent an imminent and credible threat, it will probably take decades for the new quantum-resistant crypto systems to be widely implemented.

NEW YORK - First it was then-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Next it was Gen. Wesley Clark, the supreme allied commander of NATO during the war in Kosovo.

Now it's Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry whose Jewish roots are being reported.

Kerry? The Massachusetts senator, the quintessential WASP-y looking politician with an Irish-sounding name?

Yup.

Two of Kerry's grandparents were Jewish, it turns out.

Kerry, who is a practicing Catholic, said he has known for 15 years that his paternal grandmother was Jewish, but had unsuccessfully searched for news of his paternal grandfather's roots.

However, a genealogist hired by the Boston Globe found that Kerry's grandfather was born to a Jewish family in a small town in the Czech Republic.

"This is incredible stuff," Kerry told the Globe. "I think it is more than interesting. It is a revelation."

The records show that his grandfather, Frederick Kerry, was born as Fritz Kohn. He changed his name to Kerry in 1902, immigrated to the United States in 1905 -- and committed suicide in a Boston hotel in 1921.

"What we are realizing is how significant was the trend toward conversion and abandonment of Judaism, for the sake of upward mobility, in an earlier era of America," said Sarna, the Braun professor of American Jewish history at

the school in Waltham, Mass. "Given the quite significant anti-Semitism of the early 20th century and the evident obstacles that stood in the path to success, people simply changed their names and sloughed off their Judaism."

But that path wasn't always successful, Sarna said.

Kerry's grandfather's suicide apparently stemmed from financial troubles. But one could wonder if, by changing his name and identity, the man had cut himself off from any sense of community, Sarna said.

The Kerry story also might hold lessons for the present and future makeup of American Jewry, Sarna said. According to current statistics, millions of Americans like Kerry may have Jewish roots but don't consider themselves Jewish.

Of course, several people contact the American Jewish Historical Society every year asking for help in their search for Jewish roots.

The e-mails usually run along the lines of, "My name is Kelly Smith, but my grandmother's name was Sara Goldstein," said Michael Feldberg, the executive director of the historical society, which is based in New York.

Kerry said he had asked cousins and searched on the Internet, but had found only bits of information on his family history.

The news does not appear to have major political ramifications.

There was an initial hubbub when Albright, secretary of state in the Clinton administration, learned in 1997 that three of her four grandparents were Jewish.

The next time she was in Prague, Albright visited the Pinkas Synagogue, where the names of her paternal grandparents are inscribed on a wall among thousands of Czech Jews who died in the Holocaust.

Observers say the revelation about Kerry is unlikely to affect the 2004 presidential race.

"There's no question there's a lot of pride in a Jewish candidate and pride in family Jewish connections, but the American Jewish community is fairly mature in its political behavior," said Ira Forman, the executive director of the National Jewish Democratic Council.

As far as non-Jews go, "had it come out in 1953 instead of 2003, it would have been fatal to his presidential ambitions," Feldberg said, but not in today's world.

Kerry's revelation adds another Jewish flavor to the 2004 race for the Democratic presidential nomination. Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.), who declared last month that he will seek the nomination, is an observant Jew.

Another contender, former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, is married to a Jewish woman and is raising his children as Jews.